I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a safety device for a vessel and, more particularly, to a device of the type which can be automatically or manually activated to inflate externally of the hull of the vessel to thereby provide additional buoyancy in the event that the vessel is in danger of sinking.
II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Safety devices of the type which provide supplemental buoyancy for a vessel to guard against its sinking in time of danger have long been known. Typical of patents which disclose various arrangements for providing auxiliary flotation for a vessel by means of selectively inflatable buoyant members located along the hull of the vessel are U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,662 to Morita et al, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,319,424 to Schneider, and 1,133,629 to Foster. Each of the former two patents disclose the use of an elongated inflatable bag extending a substantial distance along each of the port and starboard sides of the vessel. In the latter instance, a plurality of individual inflatable bags are provided at spaced locations along both the port and starboard sides of the vessel.
Another form of construction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,350 to Moucka which discloses apparatus for automatically inflating a life raft secured to the side of a boat hull. The life raft is inflated by pressurized gas released from a cylinder activated when the boat capsizes.
In the instance of U.S. Pat. No. 3,026,839 to Fridge, a boat is provided with buoyant inflatable plastic members about portions of its periphery above the water line. The purposes of this construction are to prevent its capsizing by decreasing the pitch of the boat on sharp turns while the boat is travelling at high speeds and, also, to maintain the boat afloat in the event that it is capsized.
Still a different construction is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 1,309,875 to Barniak. This patent discloses a ship construction according to which, in the event of a disaster, the deck of the ship can be detached from the hull. Simultaneously, floats are inflated and positioned around the periphery of the deck for added buoyancy.
It was with knowledge of the current state-of-the-art as represented by the constructions just described that the present invention was conceived and has now been reduced to practice.